The Opposition on Wednesday charged the Government in the Rajya Sabha with failing to check rising prices of essential commodities, fuel and unemployment.  Spearheading the attack, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not counter China in Ladakh.

Participating in the debate on motion of thanks to the President’s address to both the houses on Monday, Kharge said Modi, as chief of minister of Gujarat, used to call for strong action against Chinese transgressions.

However, developments in the last few years and China building infrastructure on disputed territory was a cause of worry, Kharge said adding the Prime Minister had so far kept quiet on the issue.  Modi was present in the house when the Congress veteran criticised his policies.  Some BJP leaders tried to heckle Kharge during his nearly one hour speech.

On the performance of the government, the Congress leader said it failed to check prices of pulses and commodities thereby hitting the poor hard.

Also, the unemployment scene was grim and Modi’s poll promise in 2014 to provide two crore jobs every year had not yielded any result, Kharge said.  He also claimed democracy was in danger and anyone speaking the truth was branded anti-national and hounded.

Commenting on the fight against corona pandemic, Kharge claimed the government failed during the second wave last year adding more than 50 lakh died then.   As regards the plight of dalits and minorities, he said the situation was grim as Christians were getting targeted even though they have contributed immensely in nation building.  Kharge urged the Prime Minister to take concrete steps to check this trend.

He also drew the attention of the house to the alleged misuse of investigative agencies by the government against its political   opponents.

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav slammed the government for its so-called inability to address issues concerning the poor. Senior TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray termed the President’s address an exercise in self=promotion.  Tiruchi Siva(DMK) said there was hardly anything to appreciate in the address and alleged discrimination against Tamil Nadu by the centre.

Supporting the address, Geeta alias Chandraprabha(BJP)said the Modi government looked after the downtrodden and women in rural areas. They were provided with toilets and cooking gas thereby making their lives easier and secure, she said while listing out the achievements of the present ruling dispensation.

Her party colleague S Malik highlighted the government’s fight against terrorism and surgical strikes against Pakistan. Malik also said the Modi government was committed to hasten the progress of the country in all the spheres.